Galloping gout is blamed on fad diets

[gongzero]

Caught this on fark a couple days ago... did a search on "gout atkins", no results. Interesting reading.

Galloping gout is blamed on fad diets
Stephen Khan
Sunday January 18, 2004

In the nineteenth century it allowed cartoonists to poke fun at portly old gents with throbbing big toes. Now, however, gout is no laughing matter for a growing band of much younger men and women.
Rates of the incurable disease, once synonymous with outrageous, upper-class over-indulgence have more than doubled since the 1950s and experts are predicting a further surge as more people enjoy excessive lifestyles at an early age.

While carrying too much weight greatly increases the risk of gout, shedding weight quickly can also spark the condition. Rapid action weight loss plans such as the Atkins diet, which cut out entire food groups, are already precipitating attacks.

Gout strikes when uric acid builds up in the body to such an extent that the kidneys are unable to flush it out. The acid crystallises, then collects around joints. In 70 per cent of cases the first area hit is the big toe, to which crystals are drawn by gravity.

Gout can cause excruciating pain and lack of mobility. Eventually, crystal build-up can wear down joints to such an extent that they are rendered useless.

Famous victims of the arthritic condition include numerous Dickens characters along with real-life sufferers Henry VIII, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Immanuel Kant, Samuel Johnson and Thomas Jefferson. Another, Benjamin Franklin, described it as an enemy which 'would not only torment my body to death, but ruin my good name', such was gout's association with alcohol.

Ian Phillips doesn't drink any more. He's only 30, but the security guard at Heathrow Airport has been plagued by gout for seven years. 'I was 23 when it began,' he said. 'I thought I had a broken ankle, or perhaps a sprain. But the pain was too extreme for that. It went undiagnosed for four years. When the tests came in I couldn't believe it. I thought, "How have I got gout? That's a disease rich old folk get."'

Phillips had a fairly stable diet and hadn't touched alcohol since the age of 20, but for four years beforehand he'd been in the Royal Navy and admits to having drunk heavily. Often, though, there is a hereditary factor and Phillips's grandfather was also a sufferer. When he was diagnosed, Phillips was teased by friends, but since then his condition has worsened and they have seen just how debilitating a condition it can be. 'The pain is hard to describe. I'm a 6ft 3inch doorman and security guard, but it has had me in tears.'

Ankles, knees, elbows, and shins are all affected. He has spent lengthy periods in hospital and, on occasions, has been confined to a wheelchair. 'I started a new job last year and I had a bad attack soon afterwards, resulting in two weeks off work. It's embarrassing, but what can I do? I'm afraid that I will soon become unemployable.'

Many more women are now having to deal with the disease. Once, there were vir tually no female gout sufferers, but now one in five people with the disease is a woman.

Shelly Rees-Langley had her first attack in the middle of the night. She was 38 years old. It came shuddering up from her big toe. 'It was excruciating,' she said. Her husband rushed her to hospital and the hospital diagnosed it as gout. It was Boxing Day and hospital staff asked Rees-Langley if she'd been indulging over the festive season. She had not. But she had been dieting.

Dr Michael Snaith of the UK Gout Society, a charity which was formed a year ago to raise awareness of the growing affliction, believes the type of gout sufferer is changing and that many more women will develop symptoms in coming years.

'It is almost inevitable that younger women will start to develop gout because they are getting fatter and binge-drinking,' he said. 'I expect to see a lot more women with gout, as they are behaving more like men in their eating and drinking habits.'

About 0.5 per cent of the UK population in the Fifties suffered from gout. The latest figures suggest that figure is now around 1 per cent - 500,000 people.

Dr Snaith added that the Atkins diet could precipitate gout, because, as a high-protein diet, it burns off fat and produces lactic acid. It then joins a queue of acids waiting to be expelled by the kidneys and uric acid levels remain high. Crystallisation follows.That is what happened to 40-year-old Richard Jaques.

'I'm an ex-rugby player and carry a bit of weight,' he said. 'I went on the Atkins last year.' The side-effects of the diet triggered an attack. Jaques is hit by three or four bouts of gout a year, but the Atkins-led episode was different. 'Normally it comes on quickly, but when I was following the Atkins it built up slowly over three weeks. By the end I was in a lot of pain.'

Cliff notes: The gout's making a comeback, and diets like Atkins aren't helping matters. Discuss.

[Johnny Knoxville]

I wear these brown orthopedic shoes
'Cause I got a bad case of the gout.
I know you want seconds on the corn dogs,
But there's no reason to shout.
Everybody gets enough food
Down here in Lunch Lady Land.

[TimStevens]

I did some grocery shopping last night. My grocery store has taken to putting little "Carb Friendly" indicators on certain foods that have low carbs. I also counted no less than five separate varieties of "Low Carb" bread.

[gongzero]

I really don't get it. I meant, I understand the desire for a magic-bullet, but whatever happened to eating a balance diet and getting some exercise as a means of staying fit?

Don't get me wrong, I know that it's harder for some people to stay *slim* (which I don't necessarily equate with fitness -- I'm a prime example of an unfit skinny guy), but who in their right mind thinks that cutting any type of nutritional element from their diet *completely* will not be deleterious in the long-term?

[docwhorocks]

Originally posted by gongzero
but whatever happened to eating a balance diet and getting some exercise as a means of staying fit?

Ahhh!!!! Un-American!!!! I'm calling the dept. of homeland security on you. Look the only way to get fit is something that's: quick, simple, and most of all EASY!!! Exercise - are you insane? Balanced diet? Watch what you eat? WTH is wrong with you? I might just have to sue you for the pain you have caused my eyes by typing such terrible things.

[gongzero]

Originally posted by docwhorocks
Ahhh!!!! Un-American!!!!

I'm Canuckistani, 'member?

But yeah, I know what you mean. I think everyone here in North America is getting too used to this instant-gratification no-effort/no-accountability mentality that we see everywhere and wants it present in every aspect of their lives -- including their health.

[docwhorocks]

Originally posted by gongzero
I'm Canuckistani, 'member?

I'm still calling the dept. of homeland security on you. You're trying to destroy my way of life!

[Star*Child]

Are we going to argue all of this again? You asses aren't happy when we're fat and complain about that. Then you complain when we try to lose weight?! Is that stuff any different than food that says LOW FAT!!! all over it? Jesus Christ, get a flippin' life.

how about this, lettucemanattee style?

YOU ***ERS!!

[Janq]

Being serious, gout is totally avoidable via diet.
Its ridiculous and yes it is affecting more and more people.

Gout is quite painful and uncomfortable a condition (some refer to it as a disease which I think is bogus) but can easily be remedied by reducing ones intake of sugars, eating a balanced diet (i.e. not large percentages of protein) and exercising. Its that simple, no pills or meds required.

Good Post!

- Janq

[TimStevens]

Originally posted by Star*Child
Are we going to argue all of this again? You asses aren't happy when we're fat and complain about that. Then you complain when we try to lose weight?! Is that stuff any different than food that says LOW FAT!!! all over it? Jesus Christ, get a flippin' life.

It's a little different than the unbiquitous "low fat" stickers everywhere. Saying that bread is "low carb" is like putting a "low fat" sticker on a tub of lard. It's ridiculous.

Short of that, yeah, I'm sick of the Atkins discussion too.

[Jonn]

Originally posted by gongzero
Caught this on fark a couple days ago... did a search on "gout atkins", no results. Interesting reading.



Cliff notes: The gout's making a comeback, and diets like Atkins aren't helping matters. Discuss.

By this logic, you know what else can be a precursor to gout? Caffiene. It acts as a diarhetic(sp) causing you urinate more; however when you're sleeping the toxins can build up in your kidney and cause gout!

The leap of logic here is astounding. Drink water and you'll be fine.

[Janq]

For inforamtion on Gout and prevention of this condition reference the information as provided by the NIH 'MedLine' health information site; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/g...seudogout.html

"...Gout has been recognized for more than 2,000 years, making it one of humankind's oldest known diseases. In the past, gout was often known as "the disease of kings" because it was associated with wealthy men who overindulged in rich food and drink. Today, it's known that gout is a complex disorder that can affect anyone. In fact, it's a painful problem for more than 2 million Americans.
It's true that men are more likely to get gout, but women become increasingly susceptible to it after menopause. Fortunately, gout is treatable, and there are ways to keep it from recurring." - The Mayo Clinic

- Janq

[Janq]

Originally posted by Jonn
By this logic, you know what else can be a precursor to gout? Caffiene. It acts as a diarhetic(sp) causing you urinate more; however when you're sleeping the toxins can build up in your kidney and cause gout!

The leap of logic here is astounding. Drink water and you'll be fine.

Yep ^^

People think that coffee, soda, and other caffeinated beverages are benign. The drink may not kill you but the effects of its ingredients (caffeine) just might make your life suck.

Drinking more water and less sugar & caffeine injected junk can be the cure all for many things that ail folks.

- Janq

[ColinL]

my dad has gout. it formed in his left index finger after suffering an injury there-- fracture the bone/knuckle a bit. I haven't looked at his feet/ankles recently but I presume they are fine, just the injury site so far.

his diet sucks now. red meat once per week at most, 8 oz. ANY other meat including fish, poultry, etc, once per day at most 8 oz. no beans, no spinach, no nothing high in protein.

he did drink a fair bit of caffiene and little water. he wasn't on atkins but he did have a pretty poor diet. not especially high in protein that I know of, however.

[Janq]

Originally posted by ColinL
my dad has gout. it formed in his left index finger after suffering an injury there-- fracture the bone/knuckle a bit. I haven't looked at his feet/ankles recently but I presume they are fine, just the injury site so far.

his diet sucks now. red meat once per week at most, 8 oz. ANY other meat including fish, poultry, etc, once per day at most 8 oz. no beans, no spinach, no nothing high in protein.

he did drink a fair bit of caffiene and little water. he wasn't on atkins but he did have a pretty poor diet. not especially high in protein that I know of, however.

Colin,

Your dad most likely have developed arthritis in that finger as a result of the accident you mentioned. Then following times of poor diet/eating he may at times suffer bouts of gout on & off following a rich meal whther it be proteins or high sugar content.

The more typical case though is that folks with no prior specific injury eat like dinosaurs (large quantities of red meat) and/or do not eat balanced diets nor consume much if any actual water (only soft drinks & coffee) then they end up with swollen ankles, inflamed sores at the feet, swollen lower limbs and the classic throbbing toe(s).

Your dad gets a pass if you will though of course as you noted a diet adjustment however slight might do him well. Meanwhile for the other 60% of Americans who are overweight if not obese a bout of gout is the result of diet not injury, and can be resolved simply.

- Janq

[Star*Child]

Originally posted by TimStevens
It's a little different than the unbiquitous "low fat" stickers everywhere. Saying that bread is "low carb" is like putting a "low fat" sticker on a tub of lard. It's ridiculous.

Short of that, yeah, I'm sick of the Atkins discussion too.

I thought you were doing atkins, tim? didn't you even look at the nutrtion information on the flippin label of the bread?!?

You're wrong. It's not anything near the same and you're perpetuating bull****

[TimStevens]

Originally posted by Star*Child
I thought you were doing atkins, tim? didn't you even look at the nutrtion information on the flippin label of the bread?!?

You're wrong. It's not anything near the same and you're perpetuating bull****

Nope, not doing atkins. I'm losing weight, but by eating differently and working out more.

The bread advertised as "Low carb" was just whole grain wheat.

[gongzero]

I didn't really post this as an affront to Atkins directly, or the obese/overweight.

I just find it interesting that an illness like gout, thought to be something that afflicted folks in time of yore, had long since been wiped out in countries like the US and UK where nutritional knowledge has advanced -- and that now it's making a comeback, despite this. Kinda ironic, I guess.

I personally don't listen to anything nutrition-related. One day it's the miracle food, and the next day you're wondering what that lump is.

And Janq, I hear you. If people actually *do* think that coffees and sodas are harmless, then it's fair to say that common sense has long since left the building. It's the same as people suing McDonald's and Burger King for making them fat.

PS: My Twizzlers say "fat-free". Combine that with some sugar-free lard and I'm gonna live forevAr!

[MiniLegs]

Originally posted by Johnny Knoxville
I wear these brown orthopedic shoes
'Cause I got a bad case of the gout.
I know you want seconds on the corn dogs,
But there's no reason to shout.
Everybody gets enough food
Down here in Lunch Lady Land.

schloppy joes...schlopp schloppy joes...

[Janq]

Originally posted by gongzero
...I just find it interesting that an illness like gout, thought to be something that afflicted folks in time of yore, had long since been wiped out in countries like the US and UK where nutritional knowledge has advanced -- and that now it's making a comeback, despite this. Kinda ironic, I guess...If people actually *do* think that coffees and sodas are harmless, then it's fair to say that common sense has long since left the building. It's the same as people suing McDonald's and Burger King for making them fat...

Preach.

- Janq

[bemani]

Gout frickin' hurts ... if I eat meat every meal for 3 or 4 days straight, my left ankle would hurt like hell. Don't know what that crap about alcohol is, I never drink.

[ColinL]

Originally posted by Janq
Your dad most likely have developed arthritis in that finger as a result of the accident you mentioned. Then following times of poor diet/eating he may at times suffer bouts of gout on & off following a rich meal whther it be proteins or high sugar content.

he could have some arthritis in it, but there's no question he has gout... you can see the deposits along the knuckle and edge of the bone, and he has awful mobility. and I'm not talking a small bump, I'm talking about a dime-sized lump raised at least 1/4".

[Janq]

Originally posted by bemani
Gout frickin' hurts ... if I eat meat every meal for 3 or 4 days straight, my left ankle would hurt like hell. Don't know what that crap about alcohol is, I never drink.

Alcohol is not the only cause. High blood sugars is another catalyst. Go to the link I provided above via NIH and learn more.

Don't get mad, get educated.

- Janq

[Janq]

Originally posted by ColinL
he could have some arthritis in it, but there's no question he has gout... you can see the deposits along the knuckle and edge of the bone, and he has awful mobility. and I'm not talking a small bump, I'm talking about a dime-sized lump raised at least 1/4".

No doubt he has gout.
Have him get to a doc and see about having it treated.

Once the conditon gets to that stage (lumps) its all about management and less so prevention.

- Janq

[Rentalpillow7]

I don't know what Gout is, but this atkins diet is stupid. Athletes and body builders have been following a strict protein rich moderate, MODERATE carb diet for ages. The atkins diet works to get ripped fast no doubt. But its unhealthy. Lazy people trying to get skinny without any hard work. STOOPID.

good body = good genetics + hard work + a good diet (6-8 meals a day) + Time.

Quit being so damn lazy and get to a gym.